The Harford County Board of Education plans a business meeting January 27th featuring approval of an operating budget request for the fiscal year 2015. The Board also plans to recognize the HCPS students chosen as Maryland All-State musicians for the current school year.

First on the agenda, the Board will honor 19 student musicians who were chosen for a Maryland All-State band, chorus or orchestra for the 2013-14 school year. Expert judges selected the following HCPS students based on musical talent in competitive auditions that drew over 7,000 applicants statewide:

Next on the agenda is a presentation by Ryan Burbey, president of the Harford County Education Association, the bargaining union representing teachers. The union is also planning a “Day of Action” for January 27th, urging teachers via Facebook to attend the Board meeting to “demonstrate our frustrations arising out of the failure to honor HCPS employee contracts for four out of five years.”

On the consent agenda, the Board will approve the monthly report on personnel and an independent financial audit contract. No additional information was published for these agenda items.

Also on the consent agenda, the Board will approve a resolution in appreciation of employees who retired in the 2012-13 school year. Find a link to the complete list of retirees in agenda published below. The Board is also set to approve a resolution on Career and Technical Education Month (February) and National School Counseling Week (February 3rd – 7th).

Last, but not least, the Board is set to approve an operating budget request for the fiscal year 2015. In December, Interim Superintendent Barbara Canavan proposed a $457.5 million operating budget representing an increase of $32.7 million or 7.7% over the current (2014) fiscal year.

The proposed increase is comprised of $13.7 million for employee raises (subject to negotiation with the unions), a $10.1 million rise in the cost of employee benefits, plus a $8.9 million increase the “cost of doing business”. The latter includes mandated spending related to the state’s participation in the federal Race to the Top program, the Common Core State Standards, and PARCC assessments. It also includes hiring 70 teachers to reduce class size by restoring staffing to 2012-13 levels; restoring half of previous cuts to funding for library materials, and implementing certain science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) programs in the middle schools where they are not currently offered.

Board members may amend Canavan’s proposal before approving it as their own operating budget request. The request is subject to funding provided primarily by state and county government. State funding will be finalized with the state budget approved during the General Assembly Session that ends in April. Also in April, County Executive David Craig will set county funding levels for the school system as part of the recommended county budget he submits to the county council.

The Board business meeting is set to conclude with the superintendent’s report, provided by Interim Superintendent Canavan.

The January 27th meeting of the Harford County Board of Education is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. in the A.A. Roberty Building in Bel Air. A public comment period is set for 7:10 p.m. The published agenda appears below. Please note that published agendas are subject to change.

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About Cindy Mumby

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Can’t help my need to chime in on the salary situation for Harford teachers . I noticed that this post indicated that the BOE is seeking 13.7 million for raises. Another post said the BOE employees 5,000. If you do the math under these circumstances the average salary increase would amount to $2740. However, your missed steps amounting to $5600. Sadly, the difference between your true placement on the salary scale and your actually pay still has a $2860 gap. So it appears they even if you do get a raise, it will be less than half of what you are entitled to, and will not include your missed steps.

Bill-Maybe you should get a tutor to teach you how to read. I said, “Average salary increase would amount to $2740” and I emphasize the word “average” because that would imply that you take the TOTAL fund increase and divide it by the TOTAL number of employees.

Money Tree- 1)Your use of the word entitlement is loose. The type of entitlements you are referring to are inconsistent with mine. Teachers aren’t laying around watching TV all day collecting free housing, food stamps, cash assistance, and health insurance. They are actually training “those peoples” children so they don’t fall into the same lifestyle. The entitlement that I’m referring to is funding increase they were promised when contracting their services to your county and youth.

2) Not my employer. Just supporting my friends and pointing out that they should apply elsewhere bc the math doesn’t add-up and there dreams of pay rise to equal Cecil and Baltimore levels is unlikely.

3) Regarding fiscal matters, it appears that the county can afford it, it just isn’t a priority for those that control the money.

Love the use of the word “entitled”. That my friends completely explains the problem private sector employees have with unionized public employees. For all intents and purposes your employer is broke. In a normal world; the world where your salary and benefits, even your very job is largely dependent upon the fiscal health of your employer the idea of being “entitled” to more of anything is understood by everyone to be laughable. It has nothing to do with what you may in fact deserve. Once your salary and benefits are more in line with the private sector you may find more empathy but it continues to be a pretty generous package – certainly much moreso than the meager opportunities available for almost everyone not in the public service sector.

Your argument that “your employer (Harford County and its taxpayers) is broke” is silly. The only thing keeping teachers and other county workers from getting their contractual salary steps is the county executive’s unwillingness to raise taxes. The taxpayers aren’t broke. Increasing taxes in Harford County won’t break anyone. There are lots of Harford County citizens how would gladly pay more taxes to increase the salaries of county employees. The only reason why taxes are not raised is due to the political ambitions of the county executive. He knows he can’t possibly win the governorship if he raises taxes. What he should realize is that he can’t possibly win the governorship regardless of what he does and instead should provide its citizens and county employees with the services and salaries that are comparable and competitive with neighboring counties.

You are not “entitled” to other peoples money and you have no idea what might “break” your fellow citizens. You are aware the average wage in Harford falls well below the mean teacher benefit package. Craig can’t be governor regardless and everyone knows that, apparently other than Craig.

I do treat them with respect. I have family members that are teachers and they bitch all the time about their salary. You knew what the job paid going in, you knew what to ezpect. Teachers are never happy

Yes, but going in they were also told that “This is the pay scale and you will get these step increases every year through your 15th year.” They weren’t told “Here’s the pay scale, but you’ll sit at the bottom of it for the next 5+ years while teachers in neighboring counties get their steps.” That second scenario is exactly what has happened in Harford County. The one step they’ve gotten was because HCPS eliminated 60+ positions. From what my wife has told me, her principal has started quietly telling staff that they will most likely lose additional teachers next year no matter what happens with their pay so you can probably expect classroom sizes to continue to increase and electives being offered to decrease in most schools.

There will always people that bitch no matter what, but most teachers (and deputies, though that’s a topic for another article) would be satisfied if the pay scale already agreed too and promised them was honored.

There are 8 teachers at my school that have already started that process that have been upfront about it. Who knows how many are being more private until something comes through to avoid any repercussions if things fall through. Repercussions meaning losing dept chair position, awful class schedule next year, being shifted to a new grade level/subject area, etc. All justifiable because it’s best for the students/dept etc. but still a consequence of trying unsuccessfully to leave.

People get laid off and jobs get cut everyday. I’m suppose to feel sorry because people are moving out of the county and enrollment is down, so teachers aren’t getting their step increases? I have a family member who is retired from HCPS and still has GREAT medical coverage. Don’t like your job in this county go to another. Cant get a job in another county then that says a lot about YOU

Most teachers with over 10 years experience can’t get another job in another county….not because it says something about them…but because each county has a ‘cap’ on pay for new hires. A 15 year Harford County teacher trying to transfer to Cecil can only get the pay for the step new hires are capped out. Depending on the county it’s anywhere from 7 to 10 years. My friend transferred to Anne Arundel and had to start at step 7. So going to another county means yet another pay cut as you drop down steps to their cap. It’s supposed to prevent counties from ‘stealing’ the quality, experienced teachers from each other.

Do you think that those people might be moving out of the county and others are not moving here because of the deteriorating condition of our school system? Number one on the list of priorities for young couples on deciding where to buy a home is the reputation and stability of the school system.

“The proposed increase is comprised of $13.7 million for employee raises (subject to negotiation with the unions), a $10.1 million rise in the cost of employee benefits, plus a $8.9 million increase the “cost of doing business”. ”

And those increased costs will be paid in the reverse order from which they are listed should funding not meet expectations. So, good luck getting a step this year.

HCEA members are disenfranchised because previous efforts had no effect. Plus enrollment is down because teachers decided that withdrawing from the union would provide a pay increase they desperately need. Lastly, Burbey should invite non-union members to his events. You should have to pay money to support a cause that is worthy of attention.

It’s been a century in the making, but finally we have achieved a “good of 1” era of education. Congratulations.

The problem is, there isn’t enough hours in the day, and days in the school year to actually make this “21 century social justice for all” education system work, but let’s all pretend it does.

Lets keep hiring more and more “social” worker positions in the schools, hey, let’s keep lowering the standards too, hey, let’s reevaluate discipline, oh wait, they just came up with new standards for that.

Obviously since parents can’t raise their own children, its up to the school, right? LOL

Thumb me down all you want, but give it time. The precious “I95” performance line will be county wide as good teachers continue to quit, enrollment continues to dwindle, and more “policies” for “social issues” continue to be created, the low man (or woman) on the totem pole is the teacher, and many are deciding it isn’t worth it anymore.

Remember to vote for whoever says they will give the most money to schools… Yeah! That always works out good, doesn’t it?

Ohh yeah!!!! Thumb me down all you want, but give it time. The precious “I95? performance line will be county wide as good teachers continue to quit, enrollment continues to dwindle, and more “policies” for “social issues” continue to be created, the low man (or woman) on the totem pole is the teacher, and many are deciding it isn’t worth it anymore.

Remember to vote for whoever says they will give the most money to schools… Yeah! That always works out good, doesn’t it?